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Christopher J. Haid
As a data science and AI leader, I excel in spearheading cross-functional initiatives and nurturing high-performing analytical teams. At IDEA Public Schools, my leadership in integrating machine learning and large language processing tools has significantly enhanced data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency. I am adept at developing talent, fostering innovation, and aligning team efforts with organizational goals. My expertise in deploying comprehensive analytics frameworks drives growth and performance, marking me as a transformative leader in the data science domain.
Professional Experience
Senior Vice President of Research and Analytics
IDEA Public Schools
Weslaco, TX (remote)
Current - 2023
- Leads 11 person research and analytics team conducting research and development, evaluation, analysis, data product development, organizational improvement initiatives, and network growth strategy for charter school management organization supporting 143 schools in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Ohio that educate 85,000 students from grades K-12. One-year staff retention of 100%; three-year retention of 85%.
- Created large-scale survey strategy, creating savings of $200K+ by insourcing surveys. Strategy includes a stratified, cluster-sampled monthly staff surveys (adjusted post-survey via multilevel regression and poststratification) and an annual all-staff survey of 10,000+ respondents. Other surveys include annual teacher, family, and student surveys.
- Designed proof of concept for using large language models (LLMs) from OpenAI (GTP-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4) to summarize and query open-ended responses from 10,000+ respondents on annual staff experience survey.
- Guided the development of a GIS application providing spatial analysis of public, commercial, and internal data to assess school location suitability, resulting $35M reduction in misallocated spending. Additionally, managed the redesign of growth strategy and go/no-go process of new sites and regions, coordinating the efforts of the External Affairs, Operations, Finance, and R&A teams.
- Create a system monitoring tool that aggregates and reports time-series data across all school units on multiple performance metrics and detects anomaly via an encoder-decoder algorithm.
- Lead org-wide service model initiative for all headquarters teams, including design of and standard setting of service catalog and professional development for all chief areas.
- Developed reporting process, including automated slide generation, that analyzes and visualizes staff retention data.
- Led creation of first day of school enrollment forecasting model, that leverages tree-based ensemble models (random forest, XGboost) to generate predictions and predictive intervals for each grade in all 143 schools; accurately identified 90% of schools likely to miss budget driving targets, allowing early adjustments by enrollment, and finance teams.
- Devised and led change management for overhaul of org-wide goal setting method, proving ambitions and attainable goals for all org units.
Vice President of Data Analytics
IDEA Public Schools
Weslaco, TX (remote)
2023 - 2020
- Manages teams tasked with the rapid impact analyses focused on causal inference and predictive analytics, including evaluations of Pre-K effectiveness, scheduling impacts, the impact of at-home vs in-person learning environments; typical methods included regressions, random forest estimation, matching, regression discontinuity, as well as distributional tests.
- Leads and supports evaluations team tasked with multi-year program evaluations, including Charter School Program, Century 21 After School Program, Teacher and School Leader Improvement Program.
- Designed and delivered professional development to research and analysis team members on Shiny web applications, version control with git/GitHub, data project management best practices, Posit Connect publishing, ETL operations, and predictive data pipelines with the
tidymodelsframework. - Implemented Qualtrics and Posit Connect to facilitate data collection, recurrent analysis, data applications, and automated report generation.
- Authored internal R packages that facilitate access to and exploration of IDEA’s data warehouse, support use of brand-compliant colors with ggplot2 graphics, and standardized reports rendered as PDFs, Word documents, HTML web pages, and automated emails.
- Coordinates the cooperative authorship of the IDEA Research and Analysis Team Manual, which documents team tenets, best practices, and approaches for technical team members.
- Net Promoter Score of +90 for R&A services for 3+ years.
Chief of Staff
KIPP Chicago Schools
Chicago, IL
2020 - 2017
- Led progress monitoring initiatives across the region, directly leading to the growth from 2 to 8 campuses while achieving highest results of any network of schools within Chicago Public Schools (634 schools, of which 121 are charter schools). Additionally earned the longest charter renewal (7 years) ever awarded in Illinois.
- Supervise data science team that collects, stores, manages, and analyzes data across our region of 8 schools, 3,000 students, 1,000 alumni, and 325 teachers. Includes the design and implementation of predictive models, algorithms, interactive dashboards, memos, and reports.
- Manage all progress monitoring meetings with senior leadership team (Executive Director, C-level, and Board of Directors) and presentation and communication of our analyses to all of our stakeholders: students, teachers, parents, school leaders, regional officers, Chicago Public Schools, board of directors, and donors
- Responsible for external relationships with district leadership, other CMOs, the Mayor’s Office, and other elected officials.
- Led “Red Team” analysis and decision-making framework to approve the successful launch of KIPP Detroit Schools.
Founder & Data Scientist
Numbersense
Chicago, IL
2020 - 2015
- Effectiveness evaluations of charter school and network performance for lenders to charter school management organizations.
- Development of
Rpackage to access and analyze NJ Department of Education data on school performance and demographics.
Chief Information Officer
KIPP Chicago Schools
Chicago, IL
2017
- Managed data science team that tripled in size.
- Coordinate technology selection, device management, and e-Rate procurement process.
- Managed selection, implementation, and integration of positive behavioral intervention and supports platform (DeansList) for 8 schools serving 2,000 students, leading to 130% reduction in out-of-school and in-school suspensions year-over-year.
- Managed transition for gradebooks and report cards from PowerSchool to Illuminate for 8 schools.
Director of Research & Analysis
KIPP Chicago Schools
Chicago, IL
2016 - 2012
- Collection, management, and analysis of data across our region of 4 schools, 1,200 students and 100 teachers.
- Responsible for the presentation and communication of our analyses to all of our stakeholders: students, teachers, parents, school leaders, regional officers, Chicago Public Schools, and donors.
- Encourage inquisitiveness by creating thoughtful visualizations and rigorous analyses of any and all data.
Consultant
Professionalink & John Hancock
Washington, DC & Boston, MA
2003 - 2002
- Special Projects for CEO and CFO of John Hancock Financial Services.
- Root cause analysis and solution design for Long-Term Care application process that led to a 200% reduction in time to underwrite.
- Performed opportunity and savings analysis for potential large merger for insurance companies.
Product Planner
The Adrenaline Group
Washington, DC
2002 - 2000
- Project lead on web application using AI to underwrite subprime home loans. Responsible for product design, roadmap, and milestone delivery.
- Project lead on case analyzing surveillance system monitoring the NASDAQ exchange .
- Project lead for team tasked with analyzing a large mortgage lenders data infrastructure and software stack for supporting underwriting activities.
Senior Consultant
Arthur Andersen LLP
Washington, DC
2000 - 1997
- Analysis of intangible liabilities for Fortune 500 healthcare company.
- Devised and implemented algorithm for setting hotel and meal per diem rates for the General Services Administration.
I have worked in a variety of roles ranging from consultant to data scientist to the C-Suite. I love collaborative environments where I can engage with my peers in solving seemingly intractable problems and where growth and innovation are encouraged.
Research Experience
Research Fellow
Alexander Hamilton Center for Political Economy
New York University
2011 - 2010
- Independently analyzed and constructed statistical models for large data sets pertaining to carbon decomposition rates.
- Taught courses on globalization and political violence to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Research Fellow
Program on Order, Conflict, and Violence
Yale University
2010 - 2009
- Researched the origins of electoral violence
- Devised new methods for studying the network effects of violence on voter behavior.
Research Associate
Caribbean Policy Research Institute
Kingston, Jamaica
2009 - 2007
- Researched archival, qualitative history and conducted observations and interviews of grassroots politics and election violence in Kingston, Jamaica.
Teaching Experience
My approach to teaching and professional development is to equip students and colleagues with access to the most innovative analytical approaches to solving difficult problems in organizational design, school management, academic outcomes, policy making, and program evaluation, focusing on predictive analytics, visualization, and causal identification.
Preceptor
Master of Arts Program in the Social Sciences
University of Chicago
2012 - 2011
- Teaching social science theory, coordinating graduate seminar, and supervising graduate student theses.
Research Fellow
Alexander Hamilton Center for Political Economy
New York University
2011 - 2010
- Teaching courses on globalization and political violence to both undergraduate and graduate students.
Education
ABD, Political Science (Quantitative Methods & Comparative Politics)
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
2012 - 2005
- Focused on the the uses and consequences of violence during elections, including fieldwork in Kingston, Jamaica.
- Methods included applied game theory, network flow models, spatial estimation, multilevel models, Bayesian estimation, and agent-based models.
MA, Political Science
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
2007 - 2005
MPP
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
2005 - 2003
- Graduated with Honors
- Thesis: Agent Based Simulation of Violence in Electoral Competitions
BA, Economics
The College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
1998 - 1994
- Thesis: An Economic History of the Second Bank of the United States